"...she said her name was Paradise, that's what she said it would be..."

Deep Creek Lake had every right to refer to herself as Paradise. The man-made body of water that covered approximately 3900 acres was considered one of Maryland's ultimate vacation get-aways. At first, she was known as a spot who catered towards winter tourism - with the highly regarded WISP ski resort just miles away - but over the past few years more and more families have spent the summer months enjoying the simplistic beauty of the area.

An only child to two lawyers, I had more than enough financial stability to reside in the area throughout my life. The money helped when it came to my popularity at Southern Garrett High School, where I was also the starting tailback for the Rams football squad. A junior with God-given talent, I thrilled scouts in limited time last season as new Bowie State runningback Tyler Allen led us to a district playoff berth. Now with him and quarterback Greg Johnson a part of Southern Garrett's alumni, it was my turn to take the ram by the horns and lead the team to greater heights.

But football was the furthest thing from my mind today. Instead, the cool lake water, my parents' boat and a couple of fishing rods were everything I needed for the afternoon.

...

"Throwback session today, Garrett?" Shane sarcastically asked. "I was in middle school when this album came out. Does Nelly even exist anymore?"

Shane Myers - the brown-haired, brown-eyed junior tight end who wore the best friend name-tag - decided to accompany me on my fishing trip. Like me, he's lived at Deep Creek his entire life; although he hasn't been as fortunate to live in one of the immaculate lakehouses for 16 years. We met through flag football in elementary school, quickly becoming friends after the first practice and ever since then, it was strange to not see one of us without the other on summer days like this.

"Hey, it fits the mood, doesn't it?" I chuckled, focusing on finding the perfect spot to fish from. "To me, this is paradise."

"You're telling me you'd take Deep Creek over Miami?" he asked.

"Yep," I nodded as I continued my search.

"LA?"

"I guess so."

"The Bahamas?"

"Yes."

"You're crazy man," he laughed, hitting me in the back with a half-full water bottle.

"What can I say? I love this place," I shrugged, tossing the bottle back at him.

After about five more minutes of searching, I finally found a good spot on the lake that was distant from other boats and allowed no distractions to bother me during my time of peace.

"Perfect," I said to myself as the boat's engine slowly turned off. "Shane, make yourself useful and hand me my rod."

Shane muttered something under his breath before grabbing the two fishing rods from the back of the boat. I kicked back in my seat and dangled my feet over the edge, casting my line as I turned up the music just a little bit louder.

"So Garrett - about tomorrow night?" Shane asked as he cast his line into the clear lake.

"It's a go," I replied, much to Shane's approval. "You best be helping me clean up before the 'rents get home Sunday afternoon though."

"Deal," he agreed. "Now the bigger question is - who do we invite?"

"Well there's Brittany and Sara," I started to rattle off, hitting the most familiar names first. "Then inviting Morgan guarantees most of the squad to show up."

"Even the frosh for ya?" he quipped, reeling his line in as he smirked at his less than subtle remark.

"Don't you even begin to tell me you wouldn't slam Paige Thomas if your ass had the chance," I shot back.

"You're probably right," he admitted, casting his line for a second time.

"I know I'm right - any straight guy would say the same," I proclaimed with a huff. "What's that make us at now? 12 girls?"

"Yeah," he confirmed. "And after we tally in the usual from our group, we'll be at 23."

"I'm not looking for anything big, so that's a good amount," I nodded. "Can your brother supply for us?"

"Yep. He can supply for us before he leaves for school next week."

I nodded once again and took a deep breath before looking out into the brisk August sky. For people like Shane, places like Miami, Los Angeles and The Bahamas were much more attractive than a giant fishing hole, but that's to be expected with some people. It's like Deep Creek was your girl of many years, while LA was the new broad that moved into town; some aren't satisfied with a solid foundation and want to test the waters with someone who's outer beauty is obvious, while others are just fine where they're at.

As I drifted into deeper thought, a tap on my shoulder interrupted my peace but immediately directed me to what was on Shane's mind.

"Who is that?" he asked, pointing to the unfamiliar woman standing on a dock.

I turned around and studied the attractive figure about 25 feet away. Standing at what looked like five foot six in a bright yellow bikini, the mysterious brunette seemed to notice us staring at her and welcomingly waved; both of us returning the favor before I turned the boat's ignition back on.

"You gotta swing over there dude," Shane insisted, pointing over in her direction.

"That's kind of creepy though," I chuckled, slowing turning the wheel that way.

"Yeah but what's the worst that can happen?" he questioned. "Chances are she's just a vacationer and if we screw it up, then we won't see her again."

"The only way we screw this up is if you open your mouth," I laughed before hitting the gas to head over to her dock.

"And mine's Shane," Shane added, almost tripping over the boat's railing to shake her hand.

I laughed at Shane's clumsiness before focusing my attention back to Audrina. Her deep brown eyes were very easy to admire and I did just that, catching myself from staring into them before it became too awkward.

"So do you actually need rescued or was your plan to distract all the drivers out here?" I joked, blushing from the eye exchange.

"Neither," she giggled. "I was just checking out our new backyard."

"New here then?" I asked, fully knowing the answer already; she fulfilled those assumptions with a nod of the head. "Been to Deep Creek before?"

"First time," she replied. "It seems pretty nice though."

"Yeah it's beautiful here," I said, noticing what looked like her mom slowly walking down the deck stairs. "Say...you have plans for tomorrow night?"

"Unless you want to call hanging out at home 'plans' then no," she laughed. "I haven't met anyone out here yet. Why?"

"You've met us!" Shane barged in; his response met with a chuckle from Audrina and an annoyed glare by me.

"Well if you're looking to get out of that, I'm having a party at my place," I offered as a small smile crept upon her face. "Here's my number if you want to come out."

"I'll think about it," she said, showing off one last alluring smile before starting her walk back up to the house.

I shook my head in astonishment before looking over at Shane. "Like I said, the less talk out of you, the better."

Initial motivation came reading yours, Dave's and Brandon's stories on here while attempting to catch up in each of them + my little two day vacation to Deep Creek Lake in MD last month. I've been planning this for a while, just waited till now to finally start it up.

Initial motivation came reading yours, Dave's and Brandon's stories on here while attempting to catch up in each of them + my little two day vacation to Deep Creek Lake in MD last month. I've been planning this for a while, just waited till now to finally start it up.

Glad you're all on board. I'm excited to get back into this again.

Click to expand...

You told me specifically that I inspired you to do something after I posted my dynasty.

Initial motivation came reading yours, Dave's and Brandon's stories on here while attempting to catch up in each of them + my little two day vacation to Deep Creek Lake in MD last month. I've been planning this for a while, just waited till now to finally start it up.

Glad you're all on board. I'm excited to get back into this again.

Click to expand...

You told me specifically that I inspired you to do something after I posted my dynasty.

Speaking of which, I should probably update that soon...

Click to expand...

Yours too, but I thought about it a lot after trying to catch up in theirs. You starting yours just pushed me over the top.

"Give me a hand with this shit, Garrett!" Shane yelled into the kitchen, carrying a case of Bud Light in each hand. It was a few hours before party time and we were finishing preparations by unloading the last few cases of beer off Shane's truck bed.

He sat the cases down on the kitchen table and started to walk back to his truck, when the crack of a tab caught his attention. "Are you serious right now?"

"Gotta start sometime," I smirked, putting the can down while handing Shane one of his own. "You can start now too - I'll go out and grab what's left."

"You hear anything back from that Aubrea chick yet?" Shane asked as he followed me out to what was remaining of our supplies.

"Audrina man," I scoffed, shaking my head as I picked up the last two 24s. "You never were good with names."

"Shut up Gary," he sarcastically shot back. "But anyways, is she coming?"

"Exactly," he said. "And I know one of the squad members will be more than happy to accompany the new RB1 all night, so you have nothing to worry about."

As I nodded in agreement with Shane, I started to wonder about Audrina. Our conversation was brief yesterday but there was something about her I wanted more of. She seemed different than the usual Deep Creek girl and I could feel somewhat a vibe between us, but whether that meant anything at all remained to be seen. For all I know, she could already have a boyfriend and was just here on vacation. Curiousity may have killed the cat, but I had a few lives left.

I drifted out of my deep thought when I heard a knock on the door. Shane walked over there and opened it, revealing another one of our teammates and close friends in Aaron Williams.

"Some party," Aaron chuckled, shaking both of our hands before closing the door behind him. "If I wanted to come to a sausage fest, I would've went to what Luke was having."

Aaron Williams originally lived in Arlington, Virginia before moving to Deep Creek as a freshman. A long adjustment period made his first year a tough one, but he was now recognized as a team captain in his final season as a Ram. The senior cornerback was the heart and soul of our defense and had Bowie State written all over him after graduation. In addition to being an outstanding football player, he was also one of my closest friends.

"You're always early bro," I shrugged. "Everyone should be getting here soon enough. Go ahead and grab a beer as we set the pong table up."

He obliged and grabbed one from the fridge. "So who do we have coming by tonight, gentlemen?"

"Same group as usual," I answered while filling up the stereotypical red Solo cups.

"We might have a new one tonight though," Shane added, nudging me on the shoulder.

"Oh really? Who's that?" Aaron asked.

"Some new girl we met yesterday," I replied. "I don't think she'll be out here though."

"Tough luck G," he shrugged. "But something tells me you won't be sulking about her for much longer."

"I ain't sulking!" I shot back as I checked my phone for any missed messages. The conversation went a different route after that and soon enough the party started up with guests filing in by the minute.

...

An hour later, the guest list was completely checked off and then some, but one notable name was missing. I looked at my phone for at least the seventh time tonight in case that could change but unforunately didn't see anything new. Sighing, I looked for a distraction and found one right by the fridge - the freshman blonde bombshell, Paige Thomas.

"Hey Garrett," she greeted as I walked over in her direction. "How come this is the first time I'm seeing you in your own house?"

"I had to make sure I was hospitable with the other guests," I chuckled. "And now I finally had a chance make my way over in your direction. I hope you didn't mind the wait."

"I guess I can forgive you as long as you stay with me for a while," she giggled.

"That could be arranged," I smirked, walking her over to the pong table. "Wanna play?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

Her and I looked for a team to play against and found one in Klayton Bowers and Morgan Ryan. Klayton, a junior, was one of our starting receivers while Morgan, a senior, was the cheerleading captain. The couple was inseparable through two years and got along with everyone in the senior high classes. It was almost a given that they'd be voted Most Popular in their respective class's yearbook superlatives.

The first game went by quickly as they trounced us by seven cups. Mid-way through the second game it was obvious Paige was still a rookie at this, so I started putting a little more focus into my shot attempts. We ended up dropping that one by two cups, then won the third one after she finally hit her first two shots of the night. She didn't seem to mind the losing though; it was getting her more drunk, which in turn was pushing her closer to claiming what she seemed to want.

"Let's sit down," she insisted, tugging on my arm after we won our last game. "How'd you get so good at that?"

"At what, pong? Let's just say I've had some practice over the past year."

"You should teach me sometime," she whispered, leaning in closer to me. The tension between us was quickly mounting and the drunken state of mind was starting to take over my intentions.

"Oh I could teach you a few things," I said, thinking out loud. Usually a line like that is met with a negativity, but instead I received a mischevious smirk from Paige. That's all I needed as I slowly locked lips with her, kissing her for what seemed like half a minute.

Ending with smiles on both of our faces, she stood up and grabbed my hand, leading me to a different room. I chuckled silently as she was impatiently trying to find my bedroom, but was impressed when she actually did find it.

But as she shut the door behind us, I felt a vibrate in my pocket. The number looked unfamiliar and at first I shrugged it off, but after laying Paige down on my bed, I realized exactly who it was.

"Sorry Paige, I'll be right back after I make a call."

She smiled weakly and sat back up, checking out the scenery in my room as I left to call Audrina back.

...

"For a second I figured you never saved my number," I joked with a smile on my face, knowing that obviously wasn't the case.

"Yeah sorry about that," she chuckled. "I had some stuff to do around the house. How's that party going?"

"Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, but there seems to be one thing missing."

"And what would that be?" she asked, in a way that suggested she knew the answer already.

"You," I said, stammering through the one word out of nervousness.

There was a brief silence on the other line which made me even more afraid I pushed her too far, but I was rewarded with the response I've been wanting to hear.

"I think I can stop by for a bit, I'll have my brother bring me over. Text me your address so I can have him plug it into his GPS."

...

After I sent the necessary details to her, I walked back inside with a different attitude. Not needing the guarantee of Paige Thomas anymore, I killed some time by talking to Shane and Aaron before I heard the doorbell. When I opened the door, there was no immediate silence or no whispering about the new brunette on the block - instead she walked in with no reception besides the smile on my face.

"Wow, this place is huge," she remarked, admiring the house's craftsmanship. "Are all the lakehouses this big?"

"There's some close to this, but I think ours is the biggest here," I replied, grabbing two beers from the fridge. "Beer?"

"Sure," she responded, taking the Bud Light from my hand. "Mind showing me the rest of the house?"

"It'd be my pleasure," I answered, walking her away to a much less populated room.

As soon as the area was clear, the talk opened up from your basic small talk to more engaging discussion.

"No wonder your house is so big," she exclaimed. "I wish my family was full of lawyers."

"Parent," she corrected without a hint of despair in her voice. "I've never met my father."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I replied. "I could never imagine not knowing both of my parents."

"Yeah I definitely catch myself thinking about it at times," she admitted. "But I've lived all 17 years of my life not knowing; you get used to it."

"Does your mom have a boyfriend?" I asked, trying to pry a little more into her personal life.

"Sorry she's off limits to you," she laughed, showing her sense of humor. "But yes, she does. He's been with her for a few years, but I don't look at him as a father figure nor do I really want her to marry him."

"Any particular reason for that?"

"Something just seems off with him," she said, slightly shrugging her shoulders. "To me, it just doesn't seem like he's in it for the long haul. Maybe it's because of my lack of history with my father, I don't know. I just feel most guys are carbon copies and have the same intentions about everything."

"Not all guys are the same," I chuckled, kind of annoyed by her assumption.

"You know what I meant."

"I know," I lied, not willing to argue for fear of tarnishing the brief connection I had with her. "But enough about this - you wanna play some flip-cup?"

"I suppose I can kick your ass in that for a few rounds," she smiled, pushing me in the kitchen's direction where everything was set up.

...

"One more game," I demanded, pouring another beer into my cup. "I can't go out with a loss."

Audrina smiled and nodded at the rest of her teammates, who started to pour beer into their cups as well. "We'll just see about that."

By this point, the alcohol had really kicked in and my intentions were shifting in a direction that conflicted my sober ways. I knew that even at this early stage of knowing Audrina, there was a refreshing and unique aura about her compared to other girls I knew. Her beauty was undeniable and from what I picked up from her so far, her intellect seemed superior to most girls her age. First impressions weren't a true indicator of someone's complete make up, but I could tell she was a book I wanted to begin reading and hopefully add chapters to. I just had to make sure I didn't rush it.

But when I took a glance across the room and saw Paige in the corner, frustration settled in as I saw her flirting with another guy. She was making the pot hotter - and knew it too - especially when she made eye contact with me and threw a jealous glare my way. Reading my mood like she was an all-state quarterback, she moved in closer to him and started rubbing his biceps just to tease me more. I bit my lip before turning my head back to the game at hand, but the damage was done.

"Yes!" I yelled out, giving my flip-cup teammates each a high-five to celebrate our win. After the last exchange, I turned my head to see a smiling Audrina who offered a congratulatory handshake. Instead of taking that, I leaned in for a congratulatory kiss and was greeted with air as she pulled back.

It didn't seem like anyone else noticed, but she was taken aback by my attempt to kiss her. There was an awkward silence between us both and just as I was about to apologize, her phone rang.

"Sorry, my brother's on his way to pick me up," she said, finishing her text message before putting her phone back in her pocket. "Thanks for inviting me!"

"Anytime," I nodded. "We'll have to do this again soon."

She didn't say anything, faintly smiling before turning to leave. As she walked away, I cursed at myself for possibly screwing this up, but then I saw Paige finally unattended and knew how I could salvage this night.

"Sorry for leaving you, I was just..."

"Shut up Garrett," she interrupted, throwing herself at me to fulfill my new intentions.

...

As she closed the door, she took one last look into the house and saw him locking lips with some blonde as he led her down the hallway.

"He's just like the others," she muttered to herself, shaking her head before shutting the door completely.

Waking up at 11:15 with a splitting headache was not how I envisioned the morning after my party. I of course imagined having some sort of after-effects in the morning, but this was definitely the worst I've ever felt. I wouldn't contribute it all to just alcohol however - there was also the hangover of realizing I messed up on a deeper impression with Audrina. As I continued thinking about that, I rolled over and noticed the empty side of my bed.

"Oh right," I reminded myself, remembering that Paige left with Morgan after we had sex. I sighed, slightly regretting the act but also satisfied I broke the mini-streak I was on. Paige was definitely a catch, but she also didn't seem to have any lasting qualities besides her physical attributes.

"It's about time you're up," Shane laughed, throwing a couch pillow at me as he walked into my room. "Way to close last night."

"Yeah, yeah," I scoffed, sitting up which only caused more pain. "Still doesn't hide my screw up with Audrina though."

"Don't worry about her man..."

"You know how I am with this shit bro," I stopped him, shrugging my shoulders before forcing myself to stand up.

"I know," he nodded. "She's not one to stress over though. Did you even find out if she moved here or was just on vacation?"

I looked up for a few seconds, replaying last night's conversations with her in my head to find that answer. "No, I don't think so."

"See? Why stress now about her when you won't see her again?" he asked. "Besides, after last night, you have something with Paige it seems."

"There's nothing there," I shot back. "Again, you know exactly how I am."

"Whatever," he said, shrugging his shoulders as to end that topic for now. "You ready for tomorrow?"

"Definitely," I replied, forcing a smile through the pain I was feeling. "Not so ready for camp, but I'm excited for the season. Your boy is about to look like USC RB number five out there this year."

"Reggie Bush?" he asked, confused as of why I worded it that way.

"Look at the statistics...he never played," I chuckled, finally walking into the living room - still full of last night's remains. "I'll go to SC and set all the records he never set."

"You never know bro," I smirked. "Let's start cleaning up though. My parents are supposed to get here in about five hours."

And so we did, fighting through the aftermath of last night to make my house look as presentable as it was before the party. With every cup picked up and every half-full beer sadly poured down the drain, I juggled scenarios of what to do next with Audrina and what football would bring this year. Audrina was a more hazier situation compared to football, because my role was already given and recognized there. With the stunning, yet perplexing brunette, I didn't know what she thought of me, whether she'd want to hang out again or if she was even here to hang out with again.

Most girls couldn't throw me into this kind of whirlwind, but she definitely had something about her that made me bite the bait. Revealing her situation with her father was eye-opening, because I couldn't begin to process how it felt not to know my own dad, let alone being able to open up about it to someone I just met. Maybe I was putting more emphasis on it than it deserved, or maybe she actually felt some sort of early trustworthiness in me to talk about such a thing. At this point, I was just hoping she would reel me in to take a closer look instead of letting me float away scarred.

With two hours left to spare, we finished our cleaning efforts and admired the now spotless house. I thanked Shane for his help and as he left, I went back to my room and slept off what was remaining of my hangover.

...

"Gentlemen, welcome to the first day of camp," a tall, skinny man huffed as he stood in the middle of a huddle full of teenagers. "For the returnees, you know what to expect and I better see maximum effort out of you guys or these new kids can easily take your spots. For those newbies, let's just say this ain't freshman ball anymore. On the line!"

Patrick Dennis was a young offensive mind who was currently in his third year of coaching at Southern Garrett High School. A graduate from the class of 2000, Patrick spent his collegiate years at the University of Virginia, taking snaps as a third-string quarterback behind guys like Matt Schaub and Marques Hagans. He then took a position with the school before coming back home to coach the offense at his alma mater. Named head coach at the beginning of last year, his first go-around was a successful one as the Rams reached the district playoffs for the first time since his senior year. Despite some losses at quarterback and on the defensive line, the 2010 edition of the Southern Garrett Rams looked like they would be in contention for a district title - a first in school history.

"Sharpe!" he called out after pre-practice conditioning ended. "Come over here for a second."

"What's up Coach?" I asked, slowly putting my shoulder pads on.

"Just wondering how my runningback was feeling today," he smiled, patting me on the back. "Got a lot of weight on your shoulders this year and I know the scouts will be out in full force."

"Understood sir," I nodded.

"I'm not just talking about the D2 guys who picked up Tyler and Greg last year," he said. "I know of some people at UVA who want to see you play and same way with the coaches at College Park. Apparently they're very intrigued after I spoke to them about you."

My eyes lit up after I heard of the surprise verbal recommendation letters. "What'd you say about me Coach?"

"Don't worry about it," he chuckled. "Just do your job and you'll reap the benefits."

...

"Damn man, he said he has UVA and the Terps coming to look at ya?" Shane asked as we sat in the lockerroom after we finished our last practice of the day.

"Yeah I couldn't believe it either," I shrugged. "I expected a little interest in season from some smaller D1 schools, but this is just crazy."

"Coach Dennis works wonders dude," he said, spraying himself with what was left of his Axe bottle. "And you were nice out there today! Who knows - maybe Kiffin will want you after all."

"We'll see about that," I smiled, before coughing after inhaling the remains of Axe. "Shit dude, why'd you spray so much? You and I both know you're not doing shit tonight."

"And you are?" he shot back, laughing as I coughed once again.

"Possibly," I said after clearing my throat. "Might see what Audrina's doing."

"You're still hung up on her?" he scoffed, shaking his head. "You're only going to hurt yourself, man."

"We'll see about that," I said, not willing to get into another argument about this. "I'm out of here though, see you tomorrow."

"Later bro."

As I walked out of the door, I pulled out my phone and texted Audrina to see what she was doing. The drive back to my house was met with no response and after I succumbed to a nap, I woke up an hour and a half later to a response I didn't want to see.

'sorry...in OBX'

I angrily threw my phone down on my bed and stared at the ceiling for about 15 minutes, pondering what to do next. Faced with the harsh reality that Shane was probably right, I searched for a way to get myself out of this funk and forget about Audrina. Before I could make a decision, my decision was made for me with a vibrate of my phone from an unknown number.

Good update, although I was a little confused with how you worded somethings.

One of them was when you said, "I can't imagine how it feels not knowing both her parents." Maybe it's just me, but when I read that I instinctively think, "whoa, this girl doesn't know either of her parents." I should have remembered what you said about it from the previous update, but I think it might have worked better if you had just said, "i can't imagine how it feels not knowing her dad" or something like that. There's my somewhat meaningless criticism, didn't really impact the overall story, just thought I'd let you know. Otherwise good update Ethan.

One of them was when you said, "I can't imagine how it feels not knowing both her parents." Maybe it's just me, but when I read that I instinctively think, "whoa, this girl doesn't know either of her parents." I should have remembered what you said about it from the previous update, but I think it might have worked better if you had just said, "i can't imagine how it feels not knowing her dad" or something like that. There's my somewhat meaningless criticism, didn't really impact the overall story, just thought I'd let you know. Otherwise good update Ethan.

Click to expand...

Can't believe I didn't catch that...I should have worded that better.

For future reference, she only doesn't know her father - for anyone that may have been confused. I'll see if a mod can change that section up so it reads the way I intended it to.

One of them was when you said, "I can't imagine how it feels not knowing both her parents." Maybe it's just me, but when I read that I instinctively think, "whoa, this girl doesn't know either of her parents." I should have remembered what you said about it from the previous update, but I think it might have worked better if you had just said, "i can't imagine how it feels not knowing her dad" or something like that. There's my somewhat meaningless criticism, didn't really impact the overall story, just thought I'd let you know. Otherwise good update Ethan.

Click to expand...

Can't believe I didn't catch that...I should have worded that better.

For future reference, she only doesn't know her father - for anyone that may have been confused. I'll see if a mod can change that section up so it reads the way I intended it to.

Appreciate the feedback, man.

Click to expand...

Not a big deal, I was probably the only one who even got tripped up by it. Keep up the updates.

'nothing yet...you wanna chill?' I texted back to Paige, setting my phone back down while I waited for a response. Call it impeccable timing or a stroke of good luck, but my mind quickly wandered off of Audrina and onto what I should do with Paige tonight.

Paige was indescribably gorgeous for a high school freshman. She was advanced in all areas and still had plenty of time to continue developing, but beyond her physical features, there was a lot of unknowns. There was no instant connection made when I first saw her and we never really talked last year despite myself knowing who she was. I had planned on getting to know her at some point during the year, but didn't realize that would be in an intimate way before an intellectual way.

As I thought everything out, I felt another vibrate from my phone. 'yeah you hungry?'

'a little...give me a little bit and i'll pick you up'

After making the commitment official to hang out with Paige, I showered and threw on some Cal football apparel before heading out to my car. The GPS in my 2009 Ford Escape directed me to her house and after a short wait, her perfect cheerleader body waltzed her way over in my direction and into my passenger seat.

"Pretty good," I replied as I started to pull out of her driveway. "Had to shake off some rust, but I'm already ready for our first scrimmage. How 'bout you? How's cheerleading going?"

"Exhausting," she sighed, following up with a charming smile. "Guess what?"

"What's that?"

"I'm yours," she said, holding her smile longer as my facial expression went to one of a confused state. "We had our player assignments today and I was given you."

"Oh, I was going to say," I nervously chuckled before showing a smile of my own. "Shit, if I would've known this sooner, I would've just had you make me dinner."

We both laughed as I pulled into the Crab Shack. "Well if you take me out every once in a while, I'm sure I can repay you with some sort of sweets."

"Works for me," I said, leading her into one of the first open booths at the restaurant.

The Crab Shack was one of the better local restaurants in the area. As the name suggested, it specialized in its seafood and was a prime hangout spot for Southern Garrett students after school, practices and games - even with its expenses. But of course, if you were living in one of the lakehouses then most expenses meant nothing to you. And if you were the son of two lawyers? Well, we'll just say money was never a concern.

"I'll have the pork chop sandwich," Paige told our waitress, handing her the menu as the focus shifted over to me.

"Give me the crab cake one," I said, looking over at Paige as the waitress went to place our orders. "So I bring you to this great seafood spot and you don't even get seafood? What a shame."

"Not a big fan," she chuckled, taking a sip out of her water. "I have to ask you though; what's up with all the Cal gear? Not exactly a local school."

"Parents graduated from there," I proudly boasted. "I'd love to join them as alumni but who knows if that'd happen."

"You think you could play football there?" she asked.

"I hope so," I shrugged. "I'm not putting all my eggs in that basket though. I'll go wherever it is that gives me the best opportunity."

"Makes sense," she nodded, watching as our waitress walked over in our direction with the food.

After receiving our plates, there was a brief silence as we both started at our meals. A few minutes passed, then I decided to initiate conversation again. "So tell me a little bit about yourself, Paige."

"What do you want to know?" she asked in between bites.

"Surprise me. Tell me something I wouldn't expect."

"Well let's see," she started off, thinking of what she could tell me that would fit the criteria. "You know I've been a cheerleader forever, right?"

I sighed annoyingly and she caught my attitude, nervously laughing in an attempt to save herself. "Well, did you know I've been in the ATOMS program for the past three years?"

And suddenly my interest in her shot up. The ATOMS scholar program was a five-day summer program for the best students in the Maryland, West Virginia and southern Pennsylvania areas. An invite to this prestigious camp was a huge resume builder when it came to college applications and a rarity when it came to Southern Garrett High School students. Physical attractiveness wasn't the only turn-on when it came to my standards; a bright mind could out-weigh any set of deep blue eyes or double D's.

"That's incredible," I said, astonished. "I didn't think anyone from around here would get into that program."

"Well now you know someone," she playfully bragged, smirking as she knew she had me in the palm of her hand now. "I didn't realize the significance of it while in middle school, but now I know how big this could be when it comes to college apps in a few years."

"Absolutely," I nodded. "I've never gotten an invite but my parents said that it means you're pretty much a lock to get in anywhere within the surrounding states. And that's at the very least."

"Never should have mistaken me for just a pretty face," she giggled.

"I never thought..." I spit out, before I was interrupted with a hand and yet another smile.

"You don't have to lie," she said. "I know that 'advanced placement' doesn't really come up on initial assumptions, but I'm used to it by now. People will always say 'Paige Thomas, cheerleader' before they say 'Paige Thomas, future valedictorian'."

"You can always change that though."

"Nah," she replied, shaking her head. "It honestly doesn't bother me. If anything, I can use it as a secret indenity. All superheroes have them, you know?"

"Pshhh, someone thinks they're Wonder Woman," I joked, grinning as I took one of the last bites from my dinner. "You ready to get out of here?"

She nodded and after I paid the check, we got back in my Escape and headed back to her place.

"I had a lot of fun tonight," I said as I parked the car outside her house. I then expected a goodnight hug or kiss, but instead was met with that ever familiar smile.

"Who says it has to end?" she suggested, biting her lip as she hoped for the right response to her question.

I built some unnecessary suspense for a few seconds, thinking of my change of heart between the start of the day and now. It was obvious that if I knew more about Audrina then I wouldn't be so accepting of this, but after all that I found out today, I was willing to give Paige a chance. So with all of that running through my mind, I slowly placed my lips on hers, giving her the answer she was wanting.

"Well, seeing that I'll be with you a lot now, I guess I can stop in."

She smiled seductively and led me into her house for what would probably be the first of many times.